Tea bag



July 31, 1951 B B. GUNNAR I TEA BAG Filed July 9, 1949 I N VEN TOR. I 5. Gan/7a A TTORNEY Patented July 31, 1951 UNITED STATES"? PATENT OFFICE TEA BAG Benedict B. Gunnar, Stamford, Conn.

Application July 9, 1949, Serial No. 103,929

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a tea bag such as is used commercially in great quantities.

In use, a tea bag is made of filter sheet material so that when dipped into hot water, the essence of the tea will flow from within the bag outwardly into the water. In actual practice it has been found that a considerable part of the essence will remain within the bag, and can only be removed therefrom by the bringing of pressure against the sides or walls of the bag. However, when this pressure is brought, the filter sheet ma terial has a tendency to break, allowing the tea leaves to escape into the water, all as practically any tea drinker will fully appreciate.

It is the object of my invention to provide a very inexpensive and easily used means for removing practically all the essence from a tea bag, these means functioning also as a holding means for the bag in place of the holding means usually provided. In brief, I provide a holding strip that is secured to the tea bag and is of such length that it may be wound under the bowl of the spoon while the tea bag rests in the bowl of the spoon, with the holding strip then applied over the bag to bring pressure against the bag relatively to the bowl of the spoon, thereby squeezing the tea essence from the bag.

As a further feature of the invention, the strip is of such width that it applies pressure against substantially the entire side of the bag opposite that side lying against the bowl of the spoon, thereby effecting distribution of the pressure so as to squeeze the bag while not rupturing the bag, as is the case where the pressure is not equally distributed. As a further detailed feature of this part of the invention, the holding strip is preferably of a width equal to the width of the bag, or substantially so, so that when wound about the bag it may apply pressure to the bag and against the spoon, with the pressure so distributed against the side of the tea bag that the bag will not be ruptured.

I have thus outlined rather broadly the more important features of my invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that my conthe spoon l5.

important, therefore, that the claims to be granted me shall be of suflicient breadth to prevent the appropriation of my invention by those skilled in the art.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tea bag and holding strip constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the tea bag of my invention while Fig. 3 illustrates the manner in which the invention is used.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the tea bag is shown formed of the usual type of filter sheet material, taking preferably the form of a substantially square bag It and containing therein tea leaves I l. Secured to one edge of the bag, as by staples I2, is a strip I3 of some thin, light-weight inexpensive material, as for example, cellophane. After the bag has been dipped in water, one end of the strip l3 will be held by one hand while the bag per se is brought to rest in the bowl Id of a spoon I5 as seen in Fig. 3, spoon I5 being held in the other hand. The strip 13 may then be extended downwardly as shown at I 3a in Fig. 3 under the bowl I 4 of Thereafter, the strip may be brought up over one side of the tea bag l0. Thereafter, by bringing pressure against the strip I3, the tea bag is compressed between the strip I 3 and the bowl 14 of the spoon I 5.

Obviously, the essence will run out of the bag and into the water. Furthermore, because of the considerable width of the strip I3, and the fact that it is substantially as wide as the bag itself, and may as a matter of fact be made even wider than the bag, the pressure applied to the bag will be distributed over the entire area of the tea bag Therefore, there will be no great pressure at any one area of the tea bag and the tea bag will not be readily ruptured as in those prior art constructions wherein others have attempted to achieve the results that I achieve through my invention.

I believe that the nature of my invention and the contribution to the art made thereby will now be fully appreciated by those skilled in the art.

I now claim:

1. A tea containing bag formed of suitable filter sheet material, a thin flexible holding strip secured to the filter bag, said holding strip being of such length that it may be wound under the bowl of a spoon with the bag resting in the bowl of the spoon, and then over the bag to bring pressure against the bag relatively to' the bowl of the spoon to squeeze the tea essence therefrom,

said strip being of such width in relation to the size of the tea bag as to press against a substantial part of the entire tea bag whereby to distribute the squeezing pressure against a large area of the filter sheet material comprising said bag.

2. A substantially rectangular tea containing bag formed of suitable filter sheet material, a thin flexible non water absorbing holding strip substantially of the same width as one side edge of saidfilter bag and secured to the filter bag to extend from the said one side edge thereof, said holding strip being of such length that it may be wound under the bowl of a spoon with the bag resting in the spoon bowl, and then over the bag to bring pressure against the bag relatively to the bowl of the spoon to squeeze the tea essence from the bag with the pressure distributed substantially against the entire area of one rectangular side of said tea bag.

BENEDICT B. GUNNAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,192,605 Salfisberg Mar. 5, 1940 2,291,278 Cleaves July 28, 1942 2,431,686 Barnett Jan. 7, 1947 

1. A TEA CONTAINING BAG FORMED OF SUITABLE FILTER SHEET MATERIAL, A THIN FLEXIBLE HOLDING STRIP SECURED TO THE FILTER BAG, SAID HOLDING STRIP BEING OF SUCH LENGTH THAT IT MAY BE WOUND UNDER THE BOWL OF A SPOON WITH THE BAG RESTING IN THE BOWL OF THE SPOON, AND THEN OVER THE BAG TO BRING PRESSURE AGAINST THE BAG RELATIVELY TO THE BOWL OF THE SPOON TO SQUEEZE THE TEA ESSENCE THEREFROM, SAID STRIP BEING OF SUCH WIDTH IN RELATION TO THE SIZE OF THE TEA BAG AS TO PRESS AGAINST A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE ENTIRE TEA BAG WHERREBY TO DISTRIBUTE THE SQUEEZING PRESSURE AGAINST A LARGE AREA OF THE FILTER SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING SAID BAG. 